A Simple Solution For Stressed Parents

Cambridge-based start-up mySircles is leading the way for parents with children at school, that want to ditch social media for a dedicated communication tool. Last weekmySircles Kickstarter campaignwas launched with the aim to raise enough funds to develop this platform for nationwide launch.

If you are a parent, chances are you will know what it feels like to face problems such as confusion over homework, struggling to contact other parents at school or finding out about your child needing a costume for World Book Day on World Book Day! It is frustrating and heart-breaking to watch your child suffer over homework or panic because you are running late for pick up.

The law prohibits schools from sharing contact details of other parents. This results in parents communicating using email, text, Facebook, chat, Whatsapp, Messenger; many parents use a combination of all of these and life can get very confusing. Everyone will have a preferred platform and so as people reach out in different ways, we can miss each other entirely. This inconsistency in the way we communicate is causing chaos and up until now we have just accepted this. In this over-connected culture we live in, we run a greater risk of becoming disconnected.

Facebook might have 1.94 billion users but people are actually leaving in their millions. Last year 8% left and that number looks set to be bigger in 2017. Those that left have had enough of the trivial popularity contest, fake news and fake lives that social media is awash with. They want to live their lives for real and not through their timeline. The majority of those leaving are over 31 and one of their major concerns is privacy and safeguarding issues, which people become far more acutely aware of once they have kids.

Those that have broken free from the chains of social media (or never chained themselves up in the first place), do face one big disadvantage; they reduce their options for communicating with other parents. Leaving them isolated and potentially missing out on key messages and information.

With this trend away from social media growing, mySircles provides the perfect solution. The communication is simple, information-based and all in one place. Parents can get to know each other, build relationships and potentially arrange play dates, but without any ego. There are no statuses, no likes, no shares and the platform is safe. The purpose of it is purely to make communication more efficient for the benefit of both the parent and the child.

mySircles went live with its first school in Cambridge, UK earlier this year. An increasing number of schools are interested in offering their parents an alternative way to connect outside of social media and find a solution for PTAs to connect directly with parents. mySircles is now raising money through Kickstarter to develop the App for nationwide launch.

If you are interested in supporting this campaign and the development of mySircles, please click on the link below. Funding on Kickstarter is all-or-nothing. No one is charged for a pledge towards a project unless it reaches its funding goal of £20,000. The campaign closes on Friday 28 July 2017.

“As a school we are always eager to maximise and simplify the ways we communicate with parents and we acknowledge that parent-to-parent communications are as valuable as school-to-parent communications for our broader school community. Revisions to Data Protection laws a number of years ago now prohibit us from distributing parent contact details as part of class lists. Therefore the development and implementation of apps designed to overcome this hurdle will be much welcomed by us at St Faith’s and no doubt throughout the education sector.”

Mr Brendan Mageean, Director of Communications, St Faith’s

“mySircles is a quick and efficient way for parents to communicate and connect with each other; to ask each other the kind of incidental questions they might ask each other at the school gates. Over the years Spinney parents have used their initiative to organise What’sApp and Facebook groups, so we know that the need for an APP like this is out there. However the challenge is that some of these social media platforms are not systems that a school is able to endorse as the ways that these can be used may not necessarily fit with our acceptable use policy or our values.

mySircles seems like the perfect solution! This easily downloadable app allows parents to invite other parents to the group but with one parent possibly from the PTA starting things off and liaising with the school we can ensure that all the right information gets to our families quickly and easily when they need it. And best of all they can ask each other! It’s the wisdom of the crowd!

We have decided to roll mySircles out across the school. We are really looking forward to getting going as mySircles fits so well with a number of our core Spinney values including Learning, Excellence and Community.”

Rachel Snape, Head at Spinney Primary

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About mySircles Limited

mySircles is a free app that enables parents to connect and communicate with each other. From arranging a birthday party to arranging pick-ups because you’re running late, mySircles is the perfect solution designed around the needs of all parents with children attending school. If you are a parent or a member of the PTA that is interested in mySircles for your school, please register your interest on the website www.mysircles.com

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mySircles is an app that allows parents to communicate through a secure network. From arranging a birthday party to arranging pick-ups because you're running late, mySircles is the perfect solution designed around the needs of all parents with children attending school.